


'Graduation Day' and 'The Opposite of Zen'

by BardicRaven



Category: House M.D.
Genre: Attempted Murder, Gen, Graduation, Growing Up, Leaving Home, S3E24 Human Error, S3E9 Finding Judas, Shooting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-09-22
Updated: 2007-09-22
Packaged: 2018-03-24 21:52:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3785566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BardicRaven/pseuds/BardicRaven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two rants for a September afternoon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	'Graduation Day' and 'The Opposite of Zen'

##### Greetings!

##### A couple of rant-fics for a September Saturday. I don't know what it is about this time of year.... :lol

##### Many thanks go to [](http://pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com/profile)[ **pwcorgigirl**](http://pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com/)for her usual insightful beta-ing. :-)

**Title:** Graduation Day  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Pairing:** Gen  
**Warnings:** Spoilers for S3-9 "Finding Judas" and S3-24 "Human Error", possible spoilage for misc. bits of background trivia; rated PG-13 for off-stage violence and minor drug use.  
  
**Title:** The Opposite of Zen  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Pairing:** Gen  
**Warnings:** Spoilers for S2-24 "No Reason", possible spoilage for misc. bits of background trivia; rated PG-13 for violence and language.

#####  _House M.D._ and all related characters are the property of Shore Z, Bad Hat Harry, Fox, etc.

##### These particular variations on a theme belonging to others are mine.  
Enjoy!  
-Katrina, a.k.a. Birdy

 

# Graduation Day

Chase has actually been ready to leave for a little over six months now - ever since he took a punch and still explained, successfully, exactly where he was right and House was wrong. House has been waiting for him to come to this conclusion himself, but finally realized that Chase’s own innate caution and fear of change would prevent him from ever taking that step without help.

So, he provided the help.

What he doesn’t understand is why Chase is so surprised at his termination. Or rather, he does understand, recognizing that paradoxical self-doubt in the middle of not-quite-complete arrogance. And he knows it’s the doubt that’s held Chase here too long.

Since the one who is the least ready to leave has chosen to fly the coop anyway, AMA, as it were, he figures it’s time to push the one who actually _is_ ready to leave out of the nest as well.

And as for Cameron…

House shies away from those thoughts. She will do as she will do. He’s not ready to make a judgment about her yet. There are days when the fire in her eyes shines through and he rejoices that finally, _finally_ she has discovered her inner strength - or rediscovered it, as the case may be. And then there are other days… days he could cheerfully strangle her. For her denseness. For her stupidity. For her willful blindness and careless submission.

She takes the necessity of decision away from him, proving that she has, indeed, earned the right to fly. One well-handled resignation letter, complete with a farewell scene thankfully devoid of tears and she is gone, winging her way to her own destiny.

And as for himself… as he lounges on a hospital bed, sipping fine whiskey and smoking cigars with the grateful husband of his patient, he feels a certain freedom, and a certain pride. These, his first children. Leaving home at last to face the larger world. Yeah, it’s sad - a little. But there is also joy, in odd and equal measure. So, for once, he’s telling the truth when he says he’ll be ok.

Graduation day, indeed.

 

# The Opposite of Zen

The one thing he would always remember, besides the pain, was the way they just stood there. Watching him fall to the floor. Watching him lie there, helplessly bleeding his life away, while they just stood there. Expressions of shock and horror on their faces, believing the man when he threatened them.

If he’d had the breath to speak, he would have yelled at them for being fools and cowards, that one of the things he’d learned from his father was that a moving target is hard to hit, even for an experienced marksman, never mind a crazy man with a gun… and that another one was that it is always, _always_ better to act than to remain frozen, giving your choices away and possibly your life as well.

But he doesn’t have the breath to speak, so can only watch helplessly as the scene plays itself out. He sees his death coming in a muzzle’s flash and all he has time to think is…

_You morons._

Before the world goes black.


End file.
